Description (Taken directly from the application): The new DRTC Protein and Carbohydrate Core will enhance and stimulate diabetes endocrine and metabolic research by providing scientific collaboration, expert assistance, and special facilities related to protein and carbohydrate (CHO) structure that are essential to Center investigators and trainees, but that are beyond their individual capabilities. The DRTC Core will continually develop and introduce state-of-the-art techniques in protein chemistry of particular relevance to DRTC investigators. The new DRTC Protein and Carbohydrate Core will provide DRTC members with: 1. development and/or implementation of new technologies particularly beneficial to DRTC investigators; 2. access to state-of-the-art instrumentation for protein and carbohydrate structure analysis and peptide synthesis; 3. access to highly trained personnel to operate the instrumentation and interpret data, including the latest advances in protein chemistry and how their use would benefit DRTC research programs; and 4. training in the interpretation of data, operation of instruments and experimental design. The DRTC Protein and Carbohydrate Core will be created out of the existing Protein and Carbohydrate Structure Core of the Michigan Biomedical Research Core Facilities. Technologies and techniques already being offered in the Biomedical Research Core Facilities will become part of the DRTC Core. In addition, new technologies will be offered by the DRTC Core that specifically address needs of DRTC investigators. These latter include: 1) mass mapping of proteins in a 2-D gel; 2) efficient synthesis of multiply phosphorylated peptides; 3) routine synthesis of long peptides; 4) improved or broader range of helper epitopes for antibody preparation; and 5) synthesis of stock peptides relevant to DRTC investigators. The DRTC Core will be equipped to provide a broad range of state-of-the-art services in support of basic research. Most of these services involve the use of costly instrumentation that individual investigators would not otherwise have access to. These services also require highly trained personnel that are difficult to support by a single laboratory. Major services which will be offered include: amino acid analysis, protein microsequencing, carbohydrate composition, peptide synthesis, protein mapping, isolation of protein fragments for microsequencing, circular dichroism, and mass spectrometry of peptides and proteins.